On Saturday, April 30, AWARE CT hosted Have a Ball!, a fundraising event to benefit Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes and Kick for Nick. 

Each year, AWARE (Assisting Women through Action, Resources, and Education) focuses on a major need facing our society. In 2015-2016, the group chose to support female veterans and, in turn, has been an active partner of FS:FH since Veterans Day. AWARE has supported us by serving meals, contributing supplies, advocating for our program, and decorating the Nicholas A. Madaras Home for the holidays. 

On Saturday night, members of AWARE and AWARE Kids focused their efforts on raising funds to keep FS:FH in operation. The evening's cocktail party included delicious cuisine, raffles, custom dog tag creation, and a soccer ball collection for Kick for Nick. 

As the celebration continued, the event's 115 attendees learned about Nick Madaras and the women his legacy serves from Shalini Madaras of Kick for Nick, Katie Marinelli of  Homes for the Brave, and Elaine Brown from FS:FH.

Thank you, AWARE CT, for a wonderful night and all you have done to raise awareness for the specific needs and challenges facing the female soldiers who have served us all.

We love to brag that we have the best supporters in the world. It never ceases to amaze us how quickly you respond when we send out a call-to-action. 

Recently, we've focused on collecting items that will help our residents establish their new homes when they move into permanent housing of their own. Not surprisingly, you've delivered! 

By donating household items such as cooking and cleaning supplies, linens, tool kits, gift cards, and more, you're helping our residents begin their independent lifestyles while enjoying the comforts that many of us take for granted. See how a few of our community partners have pitched in this month.

National Charity League - Redding Area Chapter

NCL's Redding Area Chapter compiled 30 patriotic housewarming kits that focus on necessities for the kitchen, including recipes!

Enfield Junior Women's Club

As part of its annual Girl Scout Tea Party, Enfield Junior Women's Club compiled beautiful housewarming baskets, each complete with a brand new coffee maker and glassware set! Local Girl Scout Troops contributed, too, by donating two cases of brownie mix.

Zack Brand & Boy Scout Troop 25

***YOU CAN HELP***

For his Eagle Scout project, Life Scout Zack Brand is hosting a Veteran Supply Drive to collect household items for our residents. He and his Shelton-based troop are also collecting bottles and cans to fund a  dinner they will serve when they present the gifts they've collected. Check out the flyers below to see how you can support our clients and Zack in his admirable efforts toward becoming an Eagle!

Veteran Supply Drive (Drop-off May 1-31)

Bottle & Can Drive (Drop-off May 7)

Contact Katie Marinelli to learn more about coordinating a supply drive.

We'd like to thank Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Charitable Service Trust for its generous support of our transitional housing programs:  Homes for the Brave and Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes . Grant funds will provide food to homeless veterans and their dependents while they access much needed resources for rehabilitation.

 

 

 

Thank you,  Bridgeport Rotary Club Foundation, for your recent grant award, which will sponsor new equipment for our resident computer lab. Properly working equipment and current technology help our clients apply for jobs, search for housing, complete school assignments, practice their computer skills, and stay in touch with loved ones.

We are pleased to announce that a recent grant award from the 

Laura J. Niles Foundation  will help support the Case Manager position for our  Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes  program. The Case Manager develops an individualized service plan alongside each woman who enters the program and helps her reach her personal, financial, and housing goals.